Non-equilibrium conditions inside rock pores drive fission, maintenance and selection of coacervate protocells

Ianeselli, Alan; Tetiker, Damla; Stein, Julian; Kühnlein, Alexandra; Mast, Christof B.; Braun, Dieter; Tang, T-Y Dora

doi:10.1038/s41557-021-00830-y

Cited by 61 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Such spatial control over reactions can determine resulting patterns [126,127] and localize droplets [128,129]. Finally, the interplay between bulk and surface dynamics implies a prominent role of geometry, which was described in detail for traditional reaction-diffusion systems, like the Min oscillations [130,131], but could also control droplets, e.g., at the origin-of-life [132]. Spatially patterned catalysts could provide detailed control over the kinetics of chemical reactions, which in turn affect where droplets form.…”

Section: Interaction With the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 98%

The intertwined physics of active chemical reactions and phase separation

Zwicker

2022

Preprint

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Phase separation is the thermodynamic process that explains how droplets form in multicomponent fluids. These droplets can provide controlled compartments to localize chemical reactions, and reactions can also affect the droplets' dynamics. This review focuses on the tight interplay between phase separation and chemical reactions originating from thermodynamic constraints. In particular, simple mass action kinetics cannot describe chemical reactions since phase separation requires non-ideal fluids. Instead, thermodynamics implies that passive chemical reactions reduce the complexity of phase diagrams and provide only limited control over the system's behavior. However, driven chemical reactions, which use external energy input to create spatial fluxes, can circumvent thermodynamic constraints. Such active systems can suppress the typical droplet coarsening, control droplet size, and localize droplets. This review provides an extensible framework for describing active chemical reactions in phase separating systems, which forms a basis for improving control in technical applications and understanding self-organized structures in biological cells.

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Section: Interaction With the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 98%

The intertwined physics of active chemical reactions and phase separation

Zwicker

2022

Preprint

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“…[119] However, there is recent experimental evidence in its favor. [120] Li et al proposed a new model of solid protocells in the form of self-assembled graphene capsules containing selective ion channels. [121] It was reported that on these capsules, the L-amino acids exhibited higher reactivity than D-amino acids to form peptides, and under the influence of graphene the peptides would be transformed into a secondary structure, promoting the synthesis of left-handed proteins.…”

Section: Inorganic Compartmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[141] Following a theoretical study on how chemically active droplets grow and divide, [153] gas bubbles inside heated rock cavities were shown to promote the growth, fusion, division and selection of coacervate microdroplets consisting of polyanionic (carboxymethyl dextran, ATP) and polycationic (poly (diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride), poly (l-lysine)) species. [120] Between coacervates and lipidic protocells exists a considerable range of membranous and membrane-like structures that can form an interface. Membrane material of such interfacial assemblies can consist of inorganic nanoparticles, proteins, amphiphilic block copolymers, or mixtures of bio-macromolecules and polyelectrolytes.…”

Section: Coacervatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Model Protocell Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Protocells: Milestones and Recent Advances

Gözen

Köksal

Põldsalu

et al. 2022

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to assemble astonishing pieces of a complicated puzzle, and realized that further advancement requires input from multiple branches of science, not just biology as the primary life science. Detailed hypotheses have been established about the different scenarios of the emergence of life, including the "RNA world," [1] the "lipid world," [2] "replicator first," [3] "metabolism first," [4][5][6] and others. Although the origin of life is still surrounded by many open questions, our understanding of chemical, physicochemical, and biochemical processes possibly involved in the ancient events preceding Darwinian evolution has seen much progress. We have come a long way from Leduc's physicochemical, inorganic matter-centered view on the beginning of the evolution, yet the matter of the transition from nonliving to living matter still remains largely unsolved, and one of the great scientific problems of our time.The phylogenetic tree of different living domains reflects that life has evolved from simple to more complex structures, i.e., from single-to multicellular organisms. The oldest fossil evidence dating back 3.5 Gy (billion years) comes from stromatolites, [7][8][9][10] microorganismal residues in sedimentary rocks. [11] There appears to be a gap of knowledge regarding the period of evolution between the first primitive hypothetical cells and the fossilized ancient bacteria, which can be considered as an already advanced form of life. [12] It is highly likely that intermediate primitive cell precursors preceded the single-cell organisms. The hypothetical prebiotic structures that were the stepping stone to first self-sustaining living cells are commonly termed "protocells." The possibility of a strong link between the formation of protocells and the origin of life can today be reasonably assumed.One cannot easily proceed in the context of the evolution of cell-based organisms without briefly illuminating the concept of life as we know it on our planet. Over time, different requirements have been proposed for an entity to be considered alive. According to Tibor Ganti's chemoton model, [13] a protocell contains three autocatalytic subsystems: a membrane subsystem that keeps the components together and intact, a metabolic subsystem that captures energy and material resources, and an information subsystem that processes and transfers heritable information to progeny. To be considered alive, these subsystems must be unified and function co-operatively for the survival and evolution of the supersystem. Pohorille and Deamer suggested a modified set of 7 criteria related to the chemoton. [14] At about the same time, Oro defined the requirements by 10 characteristic features. [15] Despite their differences, these descriptions align well with NASA's broader definition of life: "a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution."The origin of life is still one of humankind's great mysteries. At the transition between nonliving and living matter, protocells, initially featureless aggregates of abiotic matter, ga...

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“…For example, the atmospheric composition (and subsequently, density) may be significantly different from that of Earth, while the gravitational forces on the recipient planet may also result in differences in entry velocities, both of which could result in lower entry temperatures for an M‐BPS onto a recipient planet and increase its survivability. Additionally, it can not be ruled out that an M‐BPS could have arrived on a recipient planet enclosed within or co‐assembled rocks, landmasses, or other minerals (similar to those investigated recently such as clay microparticle‐containing droplets [ 163 ] or membraneless droplets within rock pores [ 200 ] ), that is, lithopanspermia, which could have also resulted in protection of both the M‐BPS and/or encapsulated components from decay. Thus, although a gel‐based M‐BPS may not easily survive entry into the Earth's atmosphere, some fraction of M‐BPS may still survive entry into another atmosphere‐containing receiving planet.…”

Section: Open Questions and Limitation To The Material‐based Pansperm...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A material‐based panspermia hypothesis: The potential of polymer gels and membraneless droplets

et al. 2022

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The Panspermia hypothesis posits that either life's building blocks (molecular Panspermia) or life itself (organism‐based Panspermia) may have been interplanetarily transferred to facilitate the origins of life (OoL) on a given planet, complementing several current OoL frameworks. Although many spaceflight experiments were performed in the past to test for potential terrestrial organisms as Panspermia seeds, it is uncertain whether such organisms will likely “seed” a new planet even if they are able to survive spaceflight. Therefore, rather than using organisms, using abiotic chemicals as seeds has been proposed as part of the molecular Panspermia hypothesis. Here, as an extension of this hypothesis, we introduce and review the plausibility of a polymeric material‐based Panspermia seed (M‐BPS) as a theoretical concept, where the type of polymeric material that can function as a M‐BPS must be able to: (1) survive spaceflight and (2) “function”, i.e., contingently drive chemical evolution toward some form of abiogenesis once arriving on a foreign planet. We use polymeric gels as a model example of a potential M‐BPS. Polymeric gels that can be prebiotically synthesized on one planet (such as polyester gels) could be transferred to another planet via meteoritic transfer, where upon landing on a liquid bearing planet, can assemble into structures containing cellular‐like characteristics and functionalities. Such features presupposed that these gels can assemble into compartments through phase separation to accomplish relevant functions such as encapsulation of primitive metabolic, genetic and catalytic materials, exchange of these materials, motion, coalescence, and evolution. All of these functions can result in the gels' capability to alter local geochemical niches on other planets, thereby allowing chemical evolution to lead to OoL events.

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Non-equilibrium conditions inside rock pores drive fission, maintenance and selection of coacervate protocells

Cited by 61 publications

References 37 publications

The intertwined physics of active chemical reactions and phase separation

The intertwined physics of active chemical reactions and phase separation

Protocells: Milestones and Recent Advances

A material‐based panspermia hypothesis: The potential of polymer gels and membraneless droplets

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